OWEN OYSTON won't be celebrating his release from a six-year prison sentence for rape until "I have cleared my name." The champagne could be on ice for a long time as he faces a lengthy battle.

From his first day in prison after sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in 1996 Oyston, his family, and his legal team have been working on one appeal after another. MP Dale Campbell-Savours says he believes Oyston is innocent and has joined the fight, asking questions in the House of Commons.

Two appeals to the High Court were lost and his wife Vicki took an application to the European Court in Strasbourg, claiming that his trial was unfair under Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

In between, just before another court hearing, his victim, from East Lancashire, won agreed civil damages - thought to have been more than £100,000 - in a secret deal between lawyers. She is also thought to have been given thousands of pounds from the Criminal Injuries board.

Finally, after three years and 198 days behind bars, a second Parole Board hearing allowed Oyston his freedom on licence.

Oyston has never admitted his guilt.

Miss B said: "No matter what he says - and no matter how many millions he pours into defending his name and trying to ruin mine - he wlll always know exactly what happened that night."

In a live TV interview outside the Commons, Dale Campbell-Savours MP announced that he was widening his investigation of the Oyston case to include what he described as "major political conspiracy in Lancashire." This is believed to refer to the civil case being broug ht by former deputy leader of Preston Council Frank McGrath who is suing two former government ministers and the estate of the Blackpool businessman Bill Harrison who died earlier this year.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.